Apple has once again turned to Samsung to manufacture its new 64-bit A7 processor that powers the flagship iPhone 5s, an analysis of the system-on-a-chip has confirmed.

The silicon experts at Chipworks revealed on Friday that the new A7 ARM CPU, custom designed by Apple, was in fact fabricated at Samsung's foundry.

They are still looking for closer details, but suspect that the processor will utilize Samsung's 28-nanometer Hi K metal Gate. If that prediction proves accurate, it would mean Apple is using the same process as the Galaxy S4's Exynos Application processor.

Chipworks also found the new M7 motion coprocessor inside the iPhone 5s, which is labeled as the NXP LPC18A1. It's based on the LPC1800 series Cortx-M3 microcontrollers made by NXP

As for the enhanced camera in the iPhone 5s, the iSight module was discovered to be a custom Exmor-RS sensor from Sony. Other parts in the handset include a touchscreen controller from Broadcom, an LTE modem by Qualcomm, and NAND flash from SK Hynix.

But it's the CPU that powers the iPhone 5s that has been of much speculation, as all of custom A-series chips to date have been built by Samsung. There have been indications that Apple would prefer to move away from Samsung, and potentially to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., for its chip production, as Samsung is Apple's chief competitor in a number of markets.

Apple has worked in recent years to lessen its reliance on Samsung for other key parts, such as flash memory found in the iPhone and iPad. But to date, Samsung's silicon fabrication facilities in Austin, Tex., have been responsible for all A-series chips.

A7 manufactured by Samsung, but the company's CEO seemed to have no idea that Apple was going 64bit with its SoC this time. You have to give it to Samsung, they did preserve the security of their client's (in this case Apple) plans from leaking into other parts of the company it shouldn't of. And so they should, otherwise they'd be out of business!

I wouldn't be so sure. I think Samsung themselves have the advantage here; they could 'reconfigure' Tizen in-house to 64-bit and not have to wait for Google, who looks to be moving to Chrome anyway. Not to say Android won't go the 64-bit route, but I just don't see any incentive for Google to hurry that project up.

edit: and where the heck is the news on the M7?Edited by PhilBoogie - 9/20/13 at 11:15am

I wouldn't be so sure. I think Samsung themselves have the advantage here; they could 'reconfigure' Tizen in-house to 64-bit and not have to wait for Google, who looks to be moving to Chrome anyway. Not to say Android won't go the 64-bit route, but I just don't see any incentive for Google to hurry that project up.

edit: and where the heck is the news on the M7?

M7 has been identified. It's not an Apple designed chip rather an off the shelf discrete processor from NXP.

So I guess Samsung was not surprised then and were just responding to the announcement. Surprised they didn't announce their work on a 64-bit ARM chip for their 2014 Galaxy phones ahead of the iPhone launch then.

How exactly do we know, that they kept a lid on what CPU Apple was cooking?

Because there was zero mention in any media of an apple switch to 64-bit before Apples announcement. We saw everything else, 5C details, 5s colors, flash, touchId etc in perhaps the most worst kept product details of any iPhone iteration. Except for 64-bit, there was nothing not even the faintest smell.

So I guess Samsung was not surprised then and were just responding to the announcement. Surprised they didn't announce their work on a 64-bit ARM chip for their 2014 Galaxy phones ahead of the iPhone launch then.

The contract probably had a non-disclosure clause with penalties somewhat akin to having one's testicles forcibly removed through the anus with a set of rusty vice grips. Besides, Samsung (corrective text actually just suggested "same sung" - LMAO) already has the worldwide reputation of being a slavish copier. They seem to be fine with it. It hasn't hurt their sales.

So I guess Samsung was not surprised then and were just responding to the announcement. Surprised they didn't announce their work on a 64-bit ARM chip for their 2014 Galaxy phones ahead of the iPhone launch then.

Samsung though is handcuffed in that they do not possess an ARM architectural license. Even if they already knew that Apple was moving to a 64-bit architecture, Samsung does not have the licensing needed to develop their ARM-based CPUs independent of ARM's timetable.

Unlike Apple and Qualcomm (both ARM architectural licensees), Samsung can only build their SOCs using ARM's reference cores, and the first CPUs based on the reference ARMv8 designs won't come out until sometime in 2014. Architectural licensees can build their own custom CPUs, and only need to be compatible with the reference instruction sets. This gives Apple and Qualcomm a potential leg up in that they can do the CPU development entirely on their own schedule and using their own core designs, while retaining the option to use ARM's reference design.

Samsung though is handcuffed in that they do not possess an ARM architectural license. Even if they already knew that Apple was moving to a 64-bit architecture, Samsung does not have the licensing needed to develop their ARM-based CPUs independent of ARM's timetable.

Unlike Apple and Qualcomm (both ARM architectural licensees), Samsung can only build their SOCs using ARM's reference cores, and the first CPUs based on the reference ARMv8 designs won't come out until sometime in 2014. Architectural licensees can build their own custom CPUs, and only need to be compatible with the reference instruction sets. This gives Apple and Qualcomm a potential leg up in that they can do the CPU development entirely on their own schedule and using their own core designs, while retaining the option to use ARM's reference design.

Samsung has had an ARM architectural license for some years now. Their proprietary core designs will show up soon.

Because there was zero mention in any media of an apple switch to 64-bit before Apples announcement. We saw everything else, 5C details, 5s colors, flash, touchId etc in perhaps the most worst kept product details of any iPhone iteration. Except for 64-bit, there was nothing not even the faintest smell.

There were reports in August that speculated that Apple would move to 64-bit, but most of the commentators found those reports too far fetched to believe. We saw those other details IMO because Apple leaked them, perhaps to divert attention from the much bigger lift going on behind the scenes with the 64-bit transition. That transition involved multiple parts (64-bit SoC, 64-bit OS, 64-bit apps, 64-bit developer tools), none of which had any credible leaks prior to Sept 10. I guess it's easier to keep a chip architecture and 64-bit code under wraps than brightly colored cases.

Must be tough for a Samsung semiconductor engineer to see their own chips coming off the line that are clones of ARM designs while on the line next door there's an advanced 64 bit chip designed by your competitor.

And realizing the chip you're making for your competitor is far superior to anything you make yourself.

Really. Look on linkedin when Samsung hired Brad Burgess away from AMD. They've been working on their own 64-bit ARM core since about that time. Why else would they hire him? For that matter so has Apple and AMCC and so on.